


I left my Heart in San Francisco

by JuliaBaggins



Series: Something Real [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Friendship, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Romance, Separations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 17:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5425730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliaBaggins/pseuds/JuliaBaggins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur has to go back to England while Merlin stays in San Francisco...</p>
            </blockquote>





	I left my Heart in San Francisco

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to the people who commented on the prior works of this series; your nice words are what keeps me going! ♡

Arthur and Merlin were kissing each other until the rain stopped; only breaking their kisses for moments to catch breath and smile at each other. When Arthur finally noticed that the sun was breaking through the clouds again, he suggested that they should leave. Merlin was freezing, but he still didn’t like the idea of driving away from this place. It felt just not right to drive away from this perfect spot where he could have stayed forever without complaining, only busy with kissing Arthur…

As soon as they were back in the car, Arthur turned the heating up. Merlin enjoyed the warmth that started to surround his body; it was a nice addition to the warm feeling around his heart. None of them said a word for some minutes, only shy smiles were exchanged, until finally, Arthur started to speak, eyes fixed on the road.

“Would you like to…” Arthur took a deep breath. “… join me to my hotel room?”

Merlin looked at him in surprise, already feeling his cheeks heat.

“Yes, I, I would like to.” 

Arthur brightly smiled at the road.

 

Merlin entered the lobby of Arthur’s hotel first; his still wet clothes and hair earning him a skeptical view from the lady behind the reception desk. As soon as Arthur appeared next to him, the look on her face turned to a very polite one, she handed him his keys and Merlin followed Arthur to the elevator. They were alone in it, only surrounded by their own reflections in the gold framed mirrors, and shortly after the doors had closed behind them, Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin. He pressed him against one of the mirrors, kissing him breathless, until a short and loud noise announced that they had reached their destination.

They walked to Arthur’s suite in silence; Merlin admiring the hotel’s expensive furnishing while he felt his heartbeat going faster. 

Arthur opened the door, letting Merlin enter first, and turned on the lights. The suite was huge, Arthur’s clothes covered a good part of the floor and the windows provided a great view of the bay. Though in Merlin’s eyes, it couldn’t compare to the view they had enjoyed earlier – nothing could…

While Merlin still looked around, Arthur placed a hand at Merlin’s shoulder, causing him to turn around.

“What do you think about a shower, to heat up a bit?”

Arthur smirked and Merlin’s answer was another passionate kiss…

 

Arthur woke up in the middle of the night. He blinked and smiled as soon as he noticed the other man pressed against his side, softly sleeping. Arthur fondled with Merlin’s soft hair, pressed a kiss to his head and went back to sleep, smile still on his face…

 

Merlin woke up to a bright morning sun. He felt it shining through his eyelids and let his eyes closed for a few more moments, enjoying memories of the prior night. But suddenly, he realized something that was wrong. The warm body next to his was gone. He opened his eyes and looked around, searching, but Arthur was nowhere to be seen. Merlin swallowed hard. 

“Arthur?”

No one answered and Merlin got up from the messy bed, looking around. No Arthur was to be found, but instead, he saw a letter addressed to him lying on the bedside table. Merlin went there and opened it with shaking fingers.

_Merlin,_

_I know I said I’d wake you so you could join me to the airport, but when the time came and you looked so cute while sleeping, I couldn’t. I couldn’t stand the thought of saying Goodbye to you. Sorry._

_Yours, Arthur_

Merlin had to sit down at the bed, the letter still in his hands. He felt a sting to his heart, and a single tear landed on the paper…

 

It had been about two weeks since Arthur had left San Francisco and he had just finished the final training before the new Premier League season would start the next day.

“Who is it?”

Arthur looked up at Lance, their team’s top scorer, who was standing next to him in the otherwise empty cabin.

“Who is whom?”

Lance smiled at Arthur. 

“The one you’re thinking about all the time. Oh no, don’t even try to deny it, Pendragon. We’ve been playing for the same team for three seasons now, and I’d say that we’re quite good friends, so I _know_ you. And I can _see_ it when you’re somewhere else with your thoughts; smiling like a fool and catching not half as many shots to your goal as normally.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, _really?_ You’re sure that there’s no special someone; no one you met for example while you did the promo shots in San Fran? Because I’d say that your strange behavior started around that time and…”

“Fine!” Arthur raised his hands in defeat. “I met someone while being there, well, more like on the way. We sat next to each other on the plane ride. You’re happy now?”

Lance smiled. “As long as you are, of course. But don’t think I’ll drop the topic so easily. Tell me about him, come on!”

Arthur swallowed, his face going pale.

“Him?” Arthur noticed how strange his own voice sounded.

Lance rolled his eyes. 

“ _Seriously?_ ”

“You… you know?”

“Course I do. Like I said, we know each other long enough.”

“And you don’t mind...?”

Lance placed his hands on Arthur’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

“Hey, as long as you’re happy, I don’t care whom you fall in love with. Just promise to introduce us one day, will you?”

Arthur whispered a “Thank you.” before Lance headed for the door.

“Any time, Pendragon. Just make sure to catch more shots tomorrow – want to start the new season with a win!”

Arthur was left behind in the cabin, a relieved smile on his face.

 

“Hey.”

Arthur smiled at Merlin’s face that appeared on his computer screen.

“Hi yourself! And congrats to your match; I was able to watch the first half before my lecture started in the morning and followed the second via live streaming. You were really great!”

“Thank you. But what do I hear there – you’re busy with a football live stream while you should pay attention to your lecture? How do you think to become a doctor that way?”

Merlin laughed as Arthur tried to put a serious expression on and failed; finally laughing with Merlin.

“Okay, first of all, physics is boring, and furthermore, I think watching my boyfriend winning the season’s first match is an acceptable excuse for being a bit distracted from the lecture.”

Arthur was the first one to notice it.

“Did you, did you just call me your _boyfriend_?”

Merlin’s eyes went wide.

“Oh. Yes, I think I did. I mean, we haven’t talked about it yet, but I thought of it, I mean if you’d like, and…”

“Merlin. Stop babbling, will you?”

Merlin closed his mouth and looked at Arthur in expectation.

“Being your boyfriend sounds great to me. Especially when you’re smiling so cute.”

Merlin blushed while Arthur continued speaking.

“I fear I have to say Goodnight now, or whatever time of the day it is in your place – I had a really long day and I have to admit that I’m kinda tired.”

“Sure, that’s alright. Sleep well, _boyfriend_.”

“Have a nice day, dear.”

Merlin smiled at Arthur one last time before his screen went black. Arthur buried his face in his hands – thinking of Merlin as his boyfriend made him feel the butterflies in his stomach, like he was a teenage girl. And thinking about all of the miles between them made his heart ache…

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments would make my day :)
> 
> Title is taken from Tony Bennett's song of the same name.
> 
> Prepare for some Christmas fluff in the next chapter! ;)


End file.
